Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) on Tuesday defeated Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to lead Democrats on the Oversight and Accountability Committee in the next Congress, putting the feisty liberal veteran in one of the most powerful spots to confront President Trump in his second term.

The win was forecast a day earlier, when the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted to recommend the seat to Connolly, who has a decade more experience than Ocasio-Cortez on the powerful committee.

The non-binding Steering vote lent a symbolic boost to Connolly, 74, but his victory was ultimately decided by the full Caucus, which huddled behind closed doors Tuesday morning in the Capitol basement and voted by secret ballot to give him the coveted seat.

Connolly also got some help from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who endorsed his bid and lobbied actively on his behalf in the lead up to this week’s votes.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5044107-connolly-ocasio-cortez-oversight-committee-democrats/amp/

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) on Monday claimed the first round of the two-step contest to lead Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee in the next Congress, besting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to win the recommendation of the Democrats’ influential Steering and Policy Committee.

The 34-27 vote lends a boost to Connolly, the more senior of the two candidates, heading into a vote of the full Caucus later in the week. The Steering and Policy panel is headed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and is packed with leadership allies.

A vote of the panel — while essentially symbolic — also sends a signal to the broader caucus about which candidate the party brass deems to be stronger.

But it is not the final word. That will come from the full Democratic Caucus, which is scheduled to vote Tuesday in a secret ballot that will decide which Democrat will replace the outgoing ranking member of the Oversight panel, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5043016-connolly-ocasio-cortez-oversight-committee/